disorientv.
transitive. To turn from the east; to cause to ‘lose one's bearings’; to put out, disconcert, embarrass.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > perplexity, bewilderment > act of perplexing > confuse, perplex, bewilder [verb (transitive)]
abobc1330
confusec1350
confoundc1374
cumbera1375
passc1384
maskerc1400
mopc1425
enose1430
manga1450
overmusec1460
perplex1477
maze1482
enmuse1502
ruffle?a1505
unsteady1532
entangle1540
duddle1548
intricate1548
distraught1579
distract1582
mizzle1583
moider1587
amuse1595
mist1598
bepuzzle1599
gravel1601
plunder1601
puzzle1603
intrigue1612
vexa1613
metagrobolize?a1616
befumea1618
fuddle1617
crucify1621
bumfiddlea1625
implicate1625
giddify1628
wilder1642
buzzlea1644
empuzzle1646
dunce1649
addle1652
meander1652
emberlucock1653
flounder1654
study1654
disorient1655
embarrass?1656
essome1660
embrangle1664
jumble1668
dunt1672
muse1673
clutter1685
emblustricate1693
fluster1720
disorientate1728
obfuscate1729
fickle1736
flustrate1797
unharmonize1797
mystify1806
maffle1811
boggle1835
unballast1836
stomber1841
throw1844
serpentine1850
unbalance1856
tickle1865
fog1872
bumfuzzle1878
wander1897
to put off1909
defeat1914
dither1919
befuddle1926
ungear1931
to screw up1941
1655 J. Jennings tr. J.-P. Camus Elise 48 'Twas Philippin who was disoriented, but more Isabella.
1765 W. Warburton Divine Legation Moses (ed. 4) IV. v. iv. 292 I doubt then the learned professor was a little disoriented when he called the promises in Ezekiel and in the Revelations, the same.
1835 S. Smith Mem. (1855) II. 356 I hope you will disorient yourself soon. The departure of the wise men from the East seems to have been on a more extensive scale than is generally supposed.
1931 A. L. Rowse Politics & Younger Generation 21 Others..emerged from it [sc. the war] shaken and disoriented.
1950 M. Lowry Let. Jan. (1967) 189 I was trading on your..disorienting yourself from your own orbit.
1951 R. M. Williams Amer. Society (1952) xiv. 535 Individuals are pulled this way and that..until the person is literally dis-oriented.
Derivatives
disoriented adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > inattention > mental wandering > [adjective]
bemazed?c1225
madc1300
maskedc1300
marreda1375
astoniedc1386
adasedc1450
astonished1513
moping1566
bewandered1574
dizzy1579
westy1598
night-wildered1652
disconcerted1686
muzzy1723
flustered1743
bewildered1760
flurried1775
muddled1790
thought-bewildered1796
bedazzled1805
muggy1824
mused1842
moony1847
beflustered1864
bemused1880
snarled1881
bedazed1882
bemuddled1883
disoriented1957
disorientated1959
wifty1973
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel in specific course or direction > [adjective] > having missed the way > lost or having lost direction
wiltc1440
lost1526
wildered1656
bewildered1685
bushed1885
disoriented1957
1957 J. Kerouac On the Road iv. iv. 274 Where disoriented people have to go to be near a specific elsewhere.
disorienting adj.
ΚΠ
1964 A. W. Gouldner in I. L. Horowitz New Sociol. 203 A disorienting normlessness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1896; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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